Chapter 838: Chapter 537 The Same Blueprint_1
"Destruction of all? Wishful thinking."
Pei Qiuyan’s aura, transmitted through the Array System, was almost immediately sensed by Dan Liwu. A cold smirk crossed his mind, and he began to form seals with his hands, sending light seals rushing into the Array System.
Visible to the naked eye, the black shadows dispersed, transforming into strands of ghostly green flames. Under the glow of the firelight, Bai Ruiting and the other two felt their Vigorous Air being drawn out of their bodies and had to forcefully resist. As a result, the more they resisted, the stronger the suction became.
At this point, let alone exerting forbidden secret techniques, they couldn’t even use their basic ultimate skills.
"How could this be?"
Pei Qiuyan’s pretty face turned deathly pale.
Dan Liwu was notoriously lecherous, and he was often brutally cruel to women. To fall into his hands was worse than death.
"This is the ultimate mystery of the Nine Prisons Battle Formation. Junior Sisters, you cannot escape the palm of my hand, hahaha..."
The prideful and piercing laughter sounded like a series of steel knives, cutting off the last hope in the hearts of Bai Ruiting and the others, and under the loss of their spirits, their defeat was even more complete.
"Come to me!"
Seizing the opportunity, Dan Liwu’s hand reached out toward Qu Ni, who was the weakest in their power.
Qu Ni struggled to slash with her sword, but managed only to cut down three shadows; the real force through the Array System had been transferred, and was already wrapping around Qu Ni’s slender waist from another direction.
In terms of power, Dan Liwu was a mid-tier Seventh-Tier Earth Immortal, half a tier stronger than Qu Ni, and he also had the absolute upper hand, capturing her was not difficult.
"Junior Sister..."
Pei Qiuyan could only watch helplessly as this all unfolded, so anxious she almost shed tears.
Just as she spiraled into despair, a streak of azure light suddenly rushed from the distance. At first, it was just a dot, but in a blink, it expanded into a giant azure sword that fiercely stabbed into the surface of the Nine Prisons Battle Formation.
Boom!
The Nine Prisons Battle Formation shook violently, the ripples spreading like waves, shattering Dan Liwu’s grip and turning into a gentle breeze that lifted the hem of Qu Ni’s skirt.
Dan Liwu abruptly turned his head, shouting angrily, "Who dares to meddle in the business of the Ghost King Ruins?"
The power of the sword just now reached a low-tier Eighth-Tier level. It wasn’t enough to make Dan Liwu wary, but he resented the other party for disrupting his plans.
What responded to him was another sword light, even sharper and more dazzling, slashing from the sky as if to cleave the heavens and the earth in two, causing all things to pale in its presence.
Thump...
The Nine Prisons Battle Formation trembled violently.
"Brother Shi!"
When the sword light first appeared, Bai Ruiting’s expression shifted, and upon seeing the second sword light, she could no longer contain the wild joy and emotion inside her, and the three words slipped out.
It was at this moment that Bai Ruiting truly realized that the playful name she thought she had used to address him was just an excuse to mask her own feelings.
Now that the veil of shame had been lifted, the thrill and excitement filling her heart upon seeing him again forced her to be honest with herself.
Atop a tree branch, the young man in green, with a long sword hanging at his waist, was as free-spirited and handsome as the first time they met, the gloomy forest seemingly becoming a few shades brighter with his arrival.
Qu Ni stared in amazement, her eyes full of wonder.
"Sir, I am a disciple of the Ghost King Ruins’ Grand Elder. I’m carrying out an important task by his order. I hope you will not interfere," Dan Liwu said, his face showing a flash of jealousy that quickly faded as he spoke lightly.
Although the other party couldn’t ruin the big picture, it did complicate the matters when he was just about to capture the three women, so he needed to stabilize him first. Once the deed was done, humph!
"Release them," Shi Xiaole said.
"Sir, do you really want to become an enemy of the Ghost King Ruins?" Dan Liwu secretly increased the power of the Array System while trying to stall with his words.
Meanwhile, the experts of the Ghost King Ruins outside the Array System received his transmission and immediately scattered in all directions. They didn’t dare to engage directly with an Eighth-Tier Earth Immortal, but they could still interfere from a distance.
Seeing that Shi Xiaole didn’t stop them, Dan Liwu breathed a sigh of relief. He only needed a hundred breaths’ time to capture the three women, and then he could deal with this young man easily.
"Young Hero, watch out for their sneak attacks!"
Shi Xiaole remained unmoved, but Pei Qiuyan was very anxious and couldn’t help but blurt out a warning.
In her eyes, although Shi Xiaole’s entrance was indeed spectacular, it had no substantial effect. Unless he was a Ninth-Tier Earth Immortal or a master of Array Systems, he simply should not even dream of breaking the formation.
The only hope was that he could significantly disturb Dan Liwu, giving her a chance to exert the forbidden secret technique.
"It should be these three spots, but I can’t be sure; I’ll have to try them one by one."
The Nine Prisons Battle Formation was indeed powerful; even with Shi Xiaole’s mental strength, after a brief observation, he could only identify three suspicious points, which he had to verify individually.
As for the plans Dan Liwu and the experts of the Ghost King Ruins were making, Shi Xiaole did not take them seriously at all.
In front of absolute power, schemes and tricks are just a joke.
As Pei Qiuyan’s voice reached his ears, Shi Xiaole appeared as if he heard nothing and inch by inch drew out the Red Left sword. As the tip of the sword came out of the sheath, the sword’s momentum reached its peak.
Grasping the sword with both hands, Shi Xiaole delivered a heavy blow with his sword.
Boom...
The Array System shook but soon returned to normal.
"Mid-tier Eighth-Tier combat strength, so what? You think you can break the formation with that?" Dan Liwu sneered in disdain, shouting to the Ghost King Ruins experts surrounding them, "What are you waiting for, kill him!"
Many masters had hesitated, but upon hearing the command, they had no choice but to harden their resolve and launch an attack. However, as soon as they started to muster their Vigorous Air, Shi Xiaole’s second sword stroke had already swept out ahead of them.
Another tremendous boom resounded as the aftermath of the Sword Qi wildly spread like a tsunami’s surging waves. Under the ferocious impact, some Earth Immortals who were closer spat blood and collapsed in a mess.
Those who were further away were so terrified that their hair stood on end, and they disregarded their offense, hastily retreating at high speed.
"He’s indeed powerful, but a bit too reckless."
Seeing that Shi Xiaole disregarded her plan, Pei Qiuyan felt utterly helpless.
"Waste, a bunch of waste!"
Witnessing the situation around him, Dan Liwu cursed angrily, his face twisted as he said, "You damn mongrel, don’t overestimate yourself. You’ve provoked me today, but once I’m free, I’ll make sure you experience the cruelest things in this world."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Shi Xiaole’s third sword was upon them, overshadowing the sky, and the highly concentrated blade of the sword was so piercing that a single glance could sting the eyes.
This time, the sword light didn’t shatter. Instead, it slipped into the edge of the Array System, slicing through as easily as knife through butter. Accompanied by the continuous sounds of ripping fabric, it carved out an abnormally twisted crack.
Crack!
Crack, crack, crack...
The Nine Prisons Battle Formation momentarily stalled.
Following that, the Array System’s light barrier shattered like a wall of glass. Caught in the backlash, the nine masters, including Dan Liwu, vomited fresh blood in unison, their bodies hurled backward as if they were kites with their strings cut.
"What?"
Pei Qiuyan was dumbfounded, watching in disbelief what was unfolding before her eyes.
Shi Xiaole’s sword, while only displaying the attacking power of a mid-level Eighth Tier, was impeccably aimed. Even she knew the slash was no fluke.
The only explanation was that Shi Xiaole had seen through the weak point of the Array System.
So it was, the opponent was not reckless or pig-headed, it was just that he had been confident in breaking the formation all along.
"Think you can escape?"
Looking towards the fleeing figure in the distance, Shi Xiaole thrust a sword from afar.
Thump!
A bloody hole instantly burst open in Dan Liwu’s chest. Turning his head, his face was filled with deep resentment and hatred. He was shocked by Shi Xiaole’s methods, but he hated even more that someone had disrupted his plans.
But now, he didn’t even know the identity of his opponent. Darkness enveloping his vision, Dan Liwu died right there and then.
Shi Xiaole didn’t want to draw the attention of Ghost King Ruins, so what happened today was bound to stay a secret. This also sealed the fate of those Ghost King Ruins masters.
Watching the panic-stricken figures scattering in all directions, Shi Xiaole stood steady atop a treetop, his Red Left sword swinging mercilessly like the scythe of the King of Hell, each stroke bringing forth a shower of blood.
No matter if they were high-level or low-level Earth Immortals, after a few strokes, they all fell dead. The terrible efficiency left the three women stunned for a long time.
"Brother Shi, you saved me again. That’s the fourth time now."
Seeing Shi Xiaole float down to the ground, Bai Ruiting inhaled sharply and quickly ran over, saying crisply, her cheeks still blushing.
"It was just a coincidence."
Shi Xiaole said with a smile.
"Young Hero Shi, thank you for your life-saving grace."
Pei Qiuyan and Qu Ni also came forward together, offering their gratitude to Shi Xiaole with a bow.
Seizing the opportunity, the two women closely observed Shi Xiaole. He had been relatively unknown before and was acquainted with Junior Sister Bai, which suggested he was an outsider as well.
Without prompting, Bai Ruiting spontaneously introduced everyone.
"First, it’s Junior Sister Bai, and then Young Hero Shi. Are all the people from the outside world like you? It really makes one feel inferior."
Qu Ni blinked her big eyes, looking shyly and enchantingly at Shi Xiaole.
"Then you’re mistaken. I am one of the top geniuses of the Daxia Dynasty. As for Brother Shi, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him one of the top geniuses from the East Victory continent. There aren’t many people like him."
Bai Ruiting’s voice held tones of pride and closeness as she unconsciously leaned towards Shi Xiaole, causing Pei Qiuyan to chuckle inwardly and Qu Ni’s eyes to sparkle.
When Sun Wei arrived at the scene, he saw one man and three women chatting idly, with the sound of the women’s giggles carrying over occasionally, which made him smile broadly.
This time he had unexpectedly received news about Miss Bai and arrived just in time to witness their predicament, prompting him to bring Shi Xiaole to the scene, a good deed indeed.
When the four saw Sun Wei, they greeted him, and together, the five of them returned to Shen City.
Late into the night, the Cloud Piercing Inn was brightly lit.
A room upstairs.
"Brother Shi, do you know why my two Senior Sisters and I came here?"
Bai Ruiting alone knocked on Shi Xiaole’s door, and without waiting for his agreement, she walked in. After looking around, she sat down with a smile.
With a resigned shake of his head, Shi Xiaole asked amiably, "Could it be something important?"
"I’m sure Brother Shi has heard of the Mirage Mountain Range. Some time ago, my Senior Sister Pei unexpectedly obtained a map detailing the internal layout of the Mirage Mountain Range and a pathway. It’s said to be left by those who entered and then came out."
"You’re not thinking of entering the Mirage Mountain Range, are you?"
Shi Xiaole’s eyebrows raised.
"Right you are, but unfortunately, there’s no reward."
Bai Ruiting chuckled, then became serious and said, "The records say that inside the Mirage Mountain Range, there’s an Enlightenment Tree that has borne many Enlightenment Fruits. That pathway is the shortcut to it."
